Washing machine



Dec. 22, l931; J. RocKE WASHING MACHINE Original Filed May 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 22, 1931'. J. RocKE WASHING MAQHINE Original Filed May 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet ATTENEYE Patented Dec. 22, 1931 NT OFFICE N JOI-IN ROCKE, OF IBIiOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS WASHING Application l'ed May 26, 1926, Serial This invention relates to washing machines. i One of the objects of the invention is in the provision of a washing machine of the 5 agitating disk type, the same including driving mechanism therefor of simple design, and doing away with the multiplicity of parts which usually accompanies this type of drive.

Another object thereof lies in the provision of a washing machine of the agitating disk type, wherein the disk member is formed of phenolic condensation product, with the re- I sult that the agitation of the disk is accoml5 plished with the minimum amount of power.

Still another object lies in the particular fashioning of the mechanism for clutching and unclutching the rack bar from the driving gear.

A further object lies in the provision of a washing machine having a hinged lid portion, said lid portion having formed upon its under side a series of corrugations providing a wash board surface.

55 Other objects will appear inthe following specification, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which y -F ig. 1 is a side elevation of the washing machine, with portions thereof cut away for i a more detail view;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the washer from above; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially in cross section,'for a more detail' showing of the 5 cover and clutching mechanism.

Referring tothe drawings, we find the tub portion 7 assuming the shape of the so-called French s uare.

The bo y of the tub consists, in general,

3 of `a substantially fiat bottom portion 8, and a vertical side wall 9. The bottom and side wall are connected by a symmetrical curved portion 10 in such a manner as to gradually merge the bottom with the side wallwithout J the formation on the inside of the tub of any abrupt breaks or obstructions. Downwardly projecting portions 11 on the tub provide means for attachment, shown at 12,

for the leg portions 13. It might be noted 3 that three of the legs are attached in the,

MACHINE No..1`11,693. Renewed June 30, 1927.

above described manner, but that the fourth leg is connected to a housing for the driving mechanism, the same to be described in detail later.

,f Slidably related to the leg portions 13 are the members 14 carrying the casters 15. Means foradjustably relating the members 14 with respect to the leg portions 13 is provided in the set screws 16. Brace rods between the lower ends of the leg portions are shown at 17, and attached to said braces is the base 18, to which is connected, as at 19 and 20, the electric motor 21, which transmits power to the operating portions of the washer now to be described.

A housing 22 for the driving mechanism of the washer substantially surrounds all of the moving parts, and is attached as at 23 to one of the depending portions 11 of the tub, said housing also being connected with one of the leg portions 13. Attached to the housing 22, as at 24, is a cylindrical casing 25 which provides at its upper end a seat for the wringer mechanism, which may be of any desired type, said vcasing also carrying therein the wringer drive shaft 26, Vwhich has the well known clutch portion 27 mount-y ed upon its upper end. The housing' 22 is supported interiorly by brace 28 attached as at 29 thereto, said brace iixedly engaging a bracket 30, which is bolted, as at 31 and 32, to a downwardly projecting portion 33 that provides the support for the disk driving mechanism. This support 33 is integrally cast with a base member 34, which is fastened to the bottom :of the tub 10 in a watertight 'mannen Projecting upwardly, as at 35, from the member or base 34, is a cylindrical housln tlgeturning to the driving means for the 90 washer, we find a belt 36 connecting the electric motor with a belt wheel 37. A worm gear 38 having its bearings in the housing 22 is driven by said belt wheel and transmits power to an adjacent gear 39, the same being 95 connected to a stub drive shaft 40, which has bearings in the housing 22. The upper end of the stub drive shaft 40 has a crank 41 attached thereto, the outer end of said crank having pivotally connected thereto, as at 42, a rack bar 43, said rack bar engaging a driving gear 44 disposed on the lower end of the disk drive shaft 45 and adapted, due to its reciprocation, to transmit a similar movement to said drive shaft. Bearings 46 and 47 maintain the drive shaft in a proper relation to the upwardly projecting cylindrical casing 35. Fixedly attached to the upper end of the disk drive shaft 45 is a square lug 48, the same being adapted to engage a similarly shaped aperture in the upper portion of an agitator member generally referred to as 49. The agitator 49 consists of a substantially fiat disk 49a arranged adjacent to the bottom of the tub, and a central tubular member 495 arising from the upper surface of the disk. The disk and tubular memberv are connected by a curved surface 490, the curvature of this surface being substantially that of the surface 10 previously described 'as connecting the bottom of the tub with the side wall thereof. This agitator 49 has a plurality of blades 50 thereon, the entire agitation being made of a phenolic condensation product which is very light in weight and well adapted for use in washing operations. The agitator, as above described, has a slidable, but positive, connection with the upper end of the drive shaft, a washer 5l being disposed between the lug 48 and the vupper edge of the housing 35. A bearing surface 52 is provided interiorly of the agitator to provide centering of the disk with respect to the member 35.

A gear 53 on the stub drive shaft 40 meshes with an adjacent gear 54, fixedly attached to the lower end of the wringer drive shaft 26, with the result that power is transmitted to said drive shaft. Means for interrupting the movement of the disk is provided in the following mechanism which is adapted to control the meshed or unmeshed relationship of the rack bar 43 with the gear 44. A manually operable handle 55 is securely attached to the upper end of a rod 56, the latter being pivoted at its upper end in an outwardly projecting portion of the tub. The lower end of the rod 1s similarly pivoted in a bracket 57. Attached to the projecting lower end of the rod 56 is a crank 58 having a downwardly projecting portion 59, to which is adjustably attached the main clutch lever 60. The inner end of this clutch lever 60 has a ivotal connection 61 with a rack controlling member 62, which is pivoted, as at 63, with respect to a portion projecting downwardly from the bottom of the tub. The rack controlling member 62 is not, in itself, adapted to impinge the outer side of the rack,vbut there is provided, as clearly disclosed lin Fig. 3,..a roller portion 64 bolted thereon in the manner shown at 65. The roller member 64 actually engages the outer face 66 of the rack, as shown"in detail at 67. Upon disengagement of the roller 64 from the rack 43 by movement of the roller through the handle 55 and link connection, the rack 43 will be moved out of engagement with the driving gear 44 through the blows imparted thereto by said gear. If desired, however, the inner end of the rack 43 ma be connected to a s ring arranged to ull sai rack away from tliedriving gear w en the rack is released by turning the handle 55 in the proper direction.

It is obvious from the above that manual manipulation of the control handle 55 will move rack control member 62 and roller member 64 thereon into and out of engagement with the rack bar, with the consequent result that the rack is either held in engagement with the gear 44 or disengaged by the release of said member.

The tub portion 10 has a surrounding rim 68 fixedly attached, as at 69, to the periphery of the tub and extending a substantial distance inwardly from the outer edge thereof. The actual lid for the tub is shown at 70, and has the hinged portions 71 permitting raising of the lid for the entrance and removal of the clothes. This 'cover or lid 70 is made of bakelite, as is the disk member.

Upon the under side of the lid and formed integrally therewith are a series of corrugations 72, providing a washboard to be used in a manner later to be described.

Referring to the operation of the machine, the transmission of power from the electric motor may readily be followed through the train of gears, to the reciprocat-ion of the rack bar, with a similar movement being transmitted to the gear 44, and consequently to the bakelite disk 50. The agitating movement of the bakelite disk creates a violent water disturbance, which finally results in the cleansing of the clothes that are placed therein. Similarly, the driving connection to the wringer shaft may readily be seen.

With respect to the clutching' and unclutching of the drivingmechanism for the disk, it

is apparent that release of the rack control bar 62, by manual movement of the handle 55, will result in the cessation of movement of the gear 44, and consequently the bakelite disk 49. Opposite movement of the control handle will operate in a like manner to force the rack into engagement with the gear 44, with a continued movement or agitation of the disk.

Upon reciprocation, the a itator apparently hurls the water initially Voutwardly from thel hase thereof alon the horizontal bottom and toward the si es, where it is diverted upwardlyy by contact with the inclined portion between the sides o`f the tub and the bottom. After traveling upwardly along the sides a limited distance which varies with the speed at. which the agitator is operating, the liquid flows inwardly toward the center of the tub, whereupon it a ain contacts with the agitator and is hurle around the path just described. This operation is repeated in a continuous cycle with the result that the liquid is caused to travel continuously a substantially smooth and symmetrical pa The general agitation of the liquid in the applicants washing machine is modified-by the formation of the tub in a substantially rectangular shape, it having been found that when an agitator of the type illustrated by the applicant is used in combination with a tub of rectangular form the resulting agitation is greater than would .normally be expected for the reasonl that the corners of the tub produce a baiiling action on the liquid.

With respect to the use ofthe bakelite disk, it might be said that heretofore washers of this same general class have utilized, substantially in all instances, metal disks. Applicant, by using bakelite has greatly decreased the weight of the disk, while at the same time adhering to a size substantially that of the metal disks. By using bakelite, which is a composition of matter, a disk is provided which has all the better qualities of the metal disks, such as strength and imperviousness to water, as Well as the impory tant advantage of being very light in weight. In washers of the present type, as stated before, the disks have been, in practically every instance, formed of metal. In view of the fact that due to the underneath drive and the necessity of correct alignment of the vertical drive shaft, the disk must be balanced very carefully with respect to the upwardly projecting casing or cylinder, inthe present instance, 33. Metal disks, due to their imperviousness to liquid, and therefore nonwarping qualities, could readily be used, but there remained the disadvantage of excessive weight. The reciprocation of a disk of considerable weight is obviously attended by the necessity of a large amount of power as well as strain upon the driving mechanism. A heavy metal disk imposes, upon its initial return movement after reciprocation in one direction, a considerable strain which is not present when applicants bakelite disk is used. Bakelite has a much lower specic gravity than metal, and hence the attending lightness in weight decreases to almost a negligible amount the strain upon the driving mechanism, and hence there results not only a longer lived washing machine, but also one Opf erating with a smaller amount of power, and

1n a. mudh quieter and elicient manner.

Although wood dollies and disks have been used in'agreat many instances in the art, it

would bg impossible to use a wood disk in the present type of washer, inasmuch as it is impossible to prevent'wood from warping, and any'warping in the present type of lwasher would result in a binding about the vertically disposed cylinder, as well as 'an unbalancing of the disk, which would result in a strain, and eventually wearing out, ofthe driving small size that normally these disks assume,

that would survive under the vigorous reciprocation necessary to cause the proper water action. If a disk were fashioned of wood that would be strong enough to stand the strain of this reciprocation, such disk would be not only unwieldy, but would require a great amount of power, in View of its size, to create the necessary water action. The present'bakelite disk answers all of the requirements ofthis type of washing machine, and its imperviousness to water, and its strength, adapt it peculiarly to the washing'operation.

Also, this light weight disk is considerably easierfupon the clothes, there being a distinct advantage over a heavy disk in this respect.

Use of the bakelite lid or cover has also permitted the fashioning of a washboard upon the under surface with the result that garments or clothes that are extremely dirty may be rubbed by hand upon this surface, prior or during the washing action, to eX- pedite the washing operation.

No drain for the tub as been shown in the present application, alt ough it is apparent that any type of drain mechanism might be used, the same being located at the lowest point in the tub, and perhaps preferably in the base portion 34. C

What I claim is 1. A washing machine having in combination a stationary tub having a verticalside wall and a horizontal bottom, the said side wall and bottom being connected with a symmetrical curved portion, and a reciprocating dolly within said tub, said dolly comprising a Hat disk adjacent to the bottom `of the tub, a tubular member arising from the center portion of the disk and terminating above the normal water line of the tub, the tubular member and disk being connected with a curved surface similar to the curved portion connecting the bottom. and side wall, the curved portion of the dolly, the bottom of the hub between the dolly and the side of the tub, and the curved portion between the bottom and side being free from obstructions, so that upon reciprocating of the dolly, the liquid contents of the tub will be moved initially outwardly from the base of the dolly along the bottom of the tub, and upwardly over the curved surface between thebottom and the side wall in an uninterrupted manner. 2. -A Washing machine having in combination a substantially rectangular shaped stationary tub having vertical side walls and aV ybladed dolly within said tub lying adjacent the bottom thereof, the said flat bottom extlerling beyond the peripheral edge of the o y. n

3. In a washing machine, in combination, a substantially square tub having side walls 5 and a bottom, a downwardly and inwardly inclined curved portion connecting the side Walls with the bottom of the tub and an oscillatable dolly within said tub and adjacent the bottomv thereof, said dolly consisting of a pluralityof blades and concave curved surfaces between the blades, the curved portion connecting the side walls and the bottom and the curved surfaces between the blades lying approximately in the circumference of the '15' same circle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- 

